Eileen Ash, the world’s oldest Test cricketer, has died aged 110.
The female bowler made her England debut in 1937, played seven matches during the Second World War and retired in 1949.
Eighty years after his international debut, Ash rang the bell to Lord ahead of England’s victory in the 2017 Women’s World Cup final.
Women’s cricket chief executive and former England captain Clare Connor of the ECB said Ash was a “pioneer” of the sport.
Connor said: “I am very sad to have to say goodbye to her today.
“Heather (Knight, England captain) and I visited Eileen about six months before the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup – she was 105 years old at the time – and it was one of the remarkable experiences. Best.
“Eileen taught Heather yoga, we played snooker, had cups of tea and looked through newspapers and scrapbooks commemorating Eileen’s time as a player in the 1930s and 1940s.
“She made us crown with some incredible stories, including her arrival to have Sir Donald Bradman sign his bat at a French restaurant in Sydney in 1949. I knowing that none of us will ever forget that day, it was special.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Eileen family as they face the loss of such a wonderful woman and the end of an incredible life.”
Than to follow.
